It’s been an interesting six weeks since the last update – busy, sometimes successful, but always changing. In particular, I’ve been concentrating on Shapes rather than cutting back across to Song – still writing, just not writing what I had planned.
On with the traffic lights.
Traffic Lights
| Goal | Im | Os | Be | Mi | Lu | Ma | Sa | Yu |
| Finish Song | 0/3 | 0/3 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Complete Shapes | 1/3 | 1/1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Write every day | 2/2 | 2/2 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Run Hood To Coast | 4/4 | 3/4 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
I’m still enthusiastic about Song, but I am fully engaged on Shapes at the moment so that is my sole fiction writing project at the moment. Otherwise, this has been a pretty solid period.
1. Finish Song
Here is the 2015 plan:
- Read second draft – read for readability and typoes.
Last action: read the draft.
I haven’t done this since I am still working on the Shapes outline. - Apply corrections from draft read. Pending completion of step (1)
- Give it to my wife to read Pending completion of earlier steps, and depending on her interest.
- Revise that second draft Pending completion of earlier steps.
- Polish the draft Pending completion of earlier steps.
- Make submission materials – synopsis, pitch, hook, and all of that.
Goal Assessment
Goals from Imbolc were:
- review and typo edit second draft manuscript.
- identify any significant issues with the story.
- hand it off for first read feedback from my first reader.
Total: haven’t done any of these since I am still working on Shapes instead.
Goals for next update: these goals are still meaningful, but perhaps not for another sabbat or so.
With that in mind, these are the things I will work on next if I come back to Song, but I’m not going to define metrics this time.
- review and typo edit second draft manuscript.
- identify any significant issues with the story.
- hand it off for first read feedback from my first reader.
Metric: none this time. If I work on these it’s a bonus.
2. Complete Shapes
Here is the plan for Shapes:
- complete detailed outline – done!
- play with some ideas in the outline
- complete outline
- second draft
Goals Assessment
Goal from Imbolc was:
- complete the detailed outline of the existing text.
Total: detailed outline was completed, and I have been addressing questions and addressing hot spots in it ever since. So, that’s a legitimate green.
Goals for next update: now I have an outline, I can reinstate the outline working goals.
- try out some of the ideas I have for variations in the premise.
- fill out the outline around the end of the story.
- have a completed outline, preferably re-combined with text.
Metric: Yellow for one or two of these, green for all three. The “completed outline” goal is especially suspicious since whatever I have will be necessarily a work in progress, but once I have that I will be ready to dive back in to writing it. We’ll see then whether I want to keep going on that or cut back over to Song.
3. Write every day
A very clear goal which I have not over-analysed, but may have over-measured.
Goals Assessment
That writing log I mentioned last time has been invaluable for keeping me on track. I say I am in danged of over-measuring because I am keeping track of where I am on particular iterative tasks: lines outlined, questions answered, and so on. The trick is to measure at a fine enough granularity to see progress each day, but not so fine that the tracking is onerous.
I’ve written something on 41/45 days, which is a pretty creditable 91%. One of those missed days was tax return preparation.
Calling that a solid green.
Goals for next update: keeping the metrics for this goal – keep a log, and make sure that I actually put fingers to keyboard.
4. Run Hood To Coast
Here is the plan for the original goal, although the goal itself has changed:
- Shamrock Half Marathon, 15-Mar-2015 – completed!
- weight
- speed
- Hood to Coast, 28-Aug-2015
Goals Assessment
- maintain weight
Failed. I am only a few pounds up, but I am up. I was right about it being hard to lose while training. - complete Shamrock training plan.
Achieved, at least mostly. I blew out my last long run, which was a mistake, but I completed my other training goals, and of course I completed Shamrock. - stay on the 10,000 steps a day.
Achieved, on average, until this last week. I have not actually run since the Shamrock, partly because my legs have been trashed but also because my IT band has been bothering me since thee run. I am going to get back on the road this next week, however. Back on the 10,000 steps next week though. - continue uninjured.
Achieved. The tweaked toe I mentioned last time was transient, the IT band discomfort from the end of the Shamrock run has dissipated, and I am generally less sore than I have been in a long time.
Total: 3/4 – yellow.
Goals for next update: Time to start the long haul towards Hood to Coast.
- lose weight – I’m back to maintaining a fitness level rather than ramping up, so I need to set a weight loss goal. Let’s say five pounds down.
- start cycling again – it’s spring, and the days are lighter. Time to get back on the bike. This will be key to achieving the weight loss goal.
- stay on the 10,000 steps a day.
- continue uninjured.
Metric: yellow for 2-3, green for 4
Extra Stuff
My writing log has revealed very little off-track writing, except for my tax filing duties.
However, I will be picking up A New Dawn again, expecting to run this in six weeks or so. Time to remember why I like that story again.